"Recently countries like Germany and UK lifted the travel advisories for the state, as result we have lots of tourists coming from South East Asia, Middle East, Europe and USA," Minister for Tourism, G A Mir said in an interaction with tourism trade fraternity at Fitur International Travel and Trade Fair at Madrid in Spain today.
Mir called for lifting of the travel advisories by the rest of the countries in order to further boost foreign tourism in Kashmir.
Kashmir was in news for last two decades for unfortunate reasons, but now all is well and we have huge number of foreign tourist arrivals, an official release quoting the minister said.
He referred to the changing security scenario and said recently ambassadors from various countries visited Kashmir for a golf tournament.
Minister said tourism means the principle of travelling for pleasure and it has come a long way in the state.
"We have been able to sell the tourism potential and scenic beauty of Jammu and Kashmir quite well both in domestic and foreign travel market on a large scale," he said.
"Tourism promotion is not only a promotion activity for us as a department but more than that it has been a challenge to promote J&K as a safe destination," he said.
Minister assured them all that Kashmir is as safe as Spain or for that matter any other country in Europe. "We know that tourism is one of the major binding forces for spreading friendship and uniting souls," he added.
"All of us have to act as tourism ambassadors and try our best to unite those parts of the world which are still less connected," Mir said.
Minister urged that tourism, tour players and people connected with the industry are the bridges of positivity and as long as these bridges of positivity are there world is much safer and worth living.
